The Eyes Have it

Recent photographs from Salt Lake Seven

One wants the work from each contributor to be characteristic of their style, using those pieces that share a resonance and a reason for being seen together. Too many pieces may clutter the gallery, but too few from each contributor keeps individual style from being revealed. An arbitrary or artificial theme might conflict with the work, but a binding concept unifies the diversity on display. It is a difficult balancing act.

So, where do we start?

In the case of SL7 it began many years ago with a commitment to gather once a month to give and receive feedback on our work from those whose opinions and judgement we value. It continues today as we catalyze new ideas and possibilities for each other and for the group. We create. We succeed. We fail. We are surprised and encouraged. Ultimately, we motivate one another to do more and better work.

More than once we discussed how great images show up in the middle of failed efforts. It is only to be expected since the process of achieving something new, something brilliant, something surprising is not an easy one. Mistakes and errors are to be expected. The real challenge is to see the difference between brilliance and bullshit, then only show brilliant images. Part of the group’s job is to be a sounding board, helping each photographer recognize the difference between good and bad, and to keep them from showing bad work. “Friends don’t let friends show bad pictures.” On the other hand, friends do encourage friends to take chances, to try new and uncommon things, and to reassure each other that bad photos are a small price to pay in order to accomplish something difficult and wonderful.

About Salt Lake Seven

SL7 is a revolving and evolving group of photographers who meet monthly with Kent Miles for instruction, mutual critique, and support.  We each pursue our individual work, but because of our commitment to and participation in group critiques, our photographs achieve a resonance that results in effective exhibits.  SL7 has met for twenty-five years, and has exhibited at Art Access Gallery, Finch Lane Gallery, Salt Lake City Public Libraries (Main and Branch), and Springville Museum of Art.  One of our exhibits (Threshold at Art Access) traveled with the Utah Arts Council Traveling Exhibits and was displayed at schools, libraries, and community venues for four years. Individual members have been widely exhibited at local and regional venues.  Work ranges from traditional silver-gelatin prints to digital pigment ink prints, from portraits to abstracts to landscape to figure studies.  Each member of our group seeks to achieve in our exhibits cohesiveness while enhancing the individual vision of members by presenting remarkable images. This is our tradition and our continuing goal. The objective of our critiques is to help save one another from exhibiting badly realized images.

The members of SL7 are photographers who use digital and/or analog capture to create images. Exhibit prints are silver gelatin, traditional, alternative, or digital/archival ink printing methods. The Eyes Have It exhibit includes artworks by: Brian Buroker, Laurel Casjens, P. Kent Fairbanks, Kathy Gardner, Hunter Jackson, Kent Miles, Steve Proctor, Ike Sanders

Image Credit
Let Image, Detail,, Brian Buroker, Color & Light #4285
Right Image, Detail, P. Kent Fairbanks, Band of Trees, Driggs

Resources

• Press Release
• Artist Biographies
• Downloadable press photos
• Educational Materials
  • “Why Teach Art?”
  • “Looking at Art”

2023-2024 Traveling Schedule